TechKnowable
In terms of cybersecurity, 2021 was not a particularly strong year. It began with a major effort to contain the SolarWinds breach and ended with ransomware attacks reaching new highs.
Organizations all over the world have had to make extraordinary efforts with a hybrid workforce that faces ongoing security issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, skills shortages, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, and the relevance. of cryptocurrencies for cybersecurity, among other things.
What are the cybersecurity problems that will need to be overcome in 2022?
Related: 5 Tips for Securing Your Business Emails
The ransomware empire
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According to SILIKN’s research section, there were over 640 million attempted ransomware attacks as of September 30, 2021, and that number is expected to rise to around 890 million by the end of the year. In 2021, attempted ransomware assaults in Mexico’s banks and financial services sector climbed by more than 2,500 percent.
In 2022, what sectors have been and will be the most vulnerable to ransomware?
Ransomware, as we all know, has become one of the most rapidly rising types of cybercrime in recent history. It should be mentioned that a ransomware attack occurred every 10.2 seconds in 2021.
In 2021, ransomware damage is expected to cost roughly $ 32 billion in losses. Unfortunately, ransomware attacks are expected to cause $299 billion in annual damage by 2030, with attacks occurring every 1.8 seconds.
It’s worth noting that the present reports contain a variety of data (in part because many of the companies that have been victims of ransomware attacks have failed to record such instances), making it impossible to determine the specific data of the impacted companies. However, according to the SILIKN research unit, 57.8% of firms in Mexico faced a ransomware assault in 2021, resulting in an average of nine days of downtime. And, while the numbers may vary slightly, it is true that ransomware is anticipated to skyrocket next year.
The industries most affected by ransomware in 2021 (and no significant changes are expected by 2022) are:
- Government: 22.9%
- Financial services: 18.7%
- Health services: 15.3%
- Education: 12.4%
- Technology: 7.9%
- Manufacturing: 4.7%
- Retail – Retail Sales: 3.1%
- Other sectors: 15.0%
Related: Complete Guide to Digital Privacy for Parents
Usurpation of corporate identity
While ransomware has received a lot of attention this year, website cloning and online fraud difficulties are two topics we’ll see a lot more of in 2022. Cyberattacks perpetrated from another country cheat consumers and brands. Scammers target well-known businesses, such as banks, technology companies, and even bitcoin, in the hopes that customers will not notice that the link they are clicking leads to a clone of the original website. The consumer enters their login and other personal information, believing they are in the right place, which leads to credential theft, account acquisitions, and other issues.
Taking with website cloning takes a proactive approach. Organizations will need to utilize cybersecurity solutions that can detect and shut down frauds as soon as they emerge, before they reach consumers, employees, or other online users.
Insiders continue to be an alert for organizations
Employees stayed at home in 2020 to avoid acquiring COVID-19 and spreading it. Many employees will stay at home in 2021 because they seek something more than what their employment provide.
The Great Resignation, in which people move employment and take their knowledge with them, is now affecting cybersecurity, which was already battling with a skills gap and millions of job vacancies. Organizations will be charged with addressing a rising knowledge gap, whether it’s an early retirement or a transition to less demanding occupations or careers, and it should be a key focus.
Innovation and training of the dark side
The preparedness and ingenuity of cybercriminal groups to design, distribute, and execute ransomware is a critical factor to consider for 2022. Unfortunately, criminals who carry out these attacks are more trained and financially motivated.
Cybercriminal gangs follow a set of rules. Furthermore, unlike authorities and governments, there is no bureaucracy, and they share information, methodologies, and tools, as well as assisting people who are less knowledgeable about technological challenges.
Because the FBI, NSA, Interpol, and Europol, among other agencies, are on the lookout for cybercriminals who target large corporations, governments, and critical infrastructure in developed countries, criminals will take advantage of this to launch larger, more frequent, and more sophisticated attacks against organizations. Cybersecurity is still a slow-moving issue in Mexico.
In 2022, ransomware attacks against small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), particularly those in Mexico and other Latin American countries, will skyrocket. In addition, the RaaS model will enable an increasing number of criminal gangs to operate and expand their operations in many parts of the world. Latin America is expected to be one of the most attacked regions in 2022.
Both the Organization of American States and the Inter-American Development Bank have stated that cybercrime has surpassed drug trafficking in scope and profits at times, and that 2022 will be a difficult year for law enforcement agencies around the world, as more and more alliances between drug traffickers and cybercriminals are expected.
The most dangerous cyber dangers, contrary to popular belief, are not ransomware, DDoS attacks, social engineering, or phishing. Cybercriminal groups’ ability to operate, coordinate, attack, learn, analyze, share, and be much better prepared than authorities and governments is the most serious cyber threat.
That is the actual danger: the ease with which cybercriminals may operate in complete anonymity and use all of their expert knowledge to commit crimes. It’s crucial to understand how these cybercriminal gangs operate in order to stop them.
